1. Field of the Invention
This invention is an advancement in pet cooling products, and, more particularly, is a simple and effective thermodynamic pet cooling station, using key conductive, structural, and insulator materials to transfer temperature from a cold source to a platform surface, for the purpose of helping animals such as canines and cats cool off when they are subjected to uncomfortably high temperatures both outdoors and indoors.
2. Description of Related Art
While there are countless pet products in existence, the field of temperature-regulating products is limited. Possibly the least technically advanced method, but also the most well known, is to simply provide a bag of ice for the pet to lie on or near. Various examples of cooling pet devices are evidenced in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,835, discloses an air-conditioned pet product wherein a portable unit is provided with an insulated bottom portion containing chemical ice-packs and a top portion which fits over the bottom portion and has a planar, perforated surface to provide an area for a pet to recline and prevent direct contact with the ice-packs, thereby providing cooling of the pet through the perforations in the top portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,693, discloses a cooled portable pet bed which has a base with a central recess dimensioned to receive a container having a sealable opening for the insertion of ice cubes; an open weave fabric mattress covers the upper surface of the container to form a cooled mattress for a pet; a removable carrying strap allows the container to be utilized as a canteen for drinking water; the container may be formed from a rigid or durable flexible material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,935, discloses a pet air bed that includes a plastic housing having a base portion and an elevated pet support portion connected by a hinge to the base portion and having a number of air flow holes provided through pet support and/or pet adjacent surfaces thereof; a fan assembly being connected to the plastic housing in a manner such that air flow from the exterior of the plastic housing is generated into a cavity within the plastic housing in a manner to cause air to flow out through the air flow holes in the elevated pet support portion; the cavity formed within the plastic housing is provided for positioning cooling or heating elements such that the pet may have a temperature controlled pet bed; a forward section of the plastic housing including clips for holding a name tag or other pet identifying type of plate.
While the above prior art all share the same intent of cooling a pet, none of them demonstrate the unique thermodynamic quality of the current invention. The '835 patent is less desirable in that it relies on cooled air from chemical ice packs to rise through a perforated surface. While the animal's body heat might fall through the perforated surface, the cooled air would fall and not rise to create the intended “air conditioned” feel. It relies on proximity to the cold source, and provides no means to draw cold temperature towards the desired surface area, nor does it enable the variation of temperature and placement. Furthermore, the planar top described provides little/no structural integrity to support the weight of a pet. The '693 patent is significantly dissimilar in that it requires the animal to lie directly on the cooling source, and again provides no means of temperature regulation or placement of said temperature. Because the cooling surface also doubles as a canteen for human and animal consumption, it is clear that the art would have to be limited in size and would only accommodate the smallest of animals. A medium sized dog would require a large “cooling canteen” that would require several pounds of ice that would then have to be inserted into the chamber. This process is unrealistic and very inefficient. The '935 patent, while arguably functional, shares only the fact that his art is a cooling pet bed. The '935 patent is based on an electric fan blowing heated or cooled air onto the animal with no explanation of the heating/cooling element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,893, a water-cooled mattress for babies/infants that comprises two stacked bladders that are connected to each other with a space, or “pocket”, between the upper and lower bladders is taught. The bottom bladder is essentially an “air mattress” meant to be inflated and thereby creating the support for the unit. The top bladder is essentially a “water bed” meant to be filled with water to create a soft surface for a baby to rest upon. The space, or “pocket”, between the lower air mattress and the upper waterbed is able to receive either heating or cooling packs. The packs are insulated from the resting surface by the water, and the water-filled bladder will absorb the energy of hot/cold keeping the true temperature away from anyone resting above. Water is an insulator in this scenario, and will create a pleasant ambient cooling effect desirable to a human. Current invention differs from this invention in several important ways. First, conductive/structural platform tile of the current invention is designed to directly touch the cold element in a large flat area, then thermodynamically transfer the temperature up and across the entire aluminum surface. Second, in the current invention there are no insulators between the frozen packs and the aluminum conductor—the aluminum is the intended resting surface. Third, the current invention's conductive/structural platform tile design is integral to the functionality of our invention. The platform is specifically formed to be structurally stable, giving rigidity unlike any water or air-filled mattress could deliver. Furthermore, the specific design of the descending walls of the conductive/structural platform tile's temperature-transfer cases rest on the bottom of the insulated base and provide substantial support.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,856, what is taught is a clamshell hinged version of a traditional bed-like mattress that, when opened, reveals voids intended to hold a variety of cylindrical inserts. These inserts are designed to change the contour and/or rigidity of the resting surface, and the user can achieve different surface contours depending on the insertion of hard, hollow, or grooved inserts. In col 2, line 48-52 of '856, an upper and lower base unit to be made of a polymeric material such as polyurethane or latex, or natural materials such as wool as he was intending to describe a mattress are described. In col 2, line 53-55 of '856, the contouring inserts of the mattress are described as being either solid foam/latex, or hollow, or inflatable all intended to change the contour and/or rigidity of the resting surface in multiple ways. The current invention differs from '856 in several important ways. First, the upper and lower portions of the '856 mattress are joined by a hinge, and therefore dependent on each other to form one unit. The components of the current invention are not hinged or connected in any way. Second, the upper and lower portions of the '856 unit are made from the same material, and are intended to create a clamshell mattress. The current invention's upper and lower components are independent, made of completely different materials, and serve different functions when paired together. Third, unlike the soft mattress with adjustable contours and/or rigidity that are specifically placed in the '856 mattress, the current invention seeks to create a single-plane, flat/level resting surface that has no change in contour and maintains consistent rigidity while it thermodynamically transfers temperature across its surface. Fourth, the current inventions conductive/structural platform tile design is the key to the functionality of the device. Differing from '856's take on the traditional soft mattress, the current invention's conductive surface, in the preferred embodiment that surface being aluminum, is designed to be structurally stable, providing rigidity that cannot be found in a traditional fabric/polymeric mattress. Furthermore, the specific design of the descending walls of the conductive/structural platform tile's chambers rest on the bottom of the insulated base and provide significant weight support and stability.
Based on the prior art discussed above, it is clear that there have been attempts to satisfy the ongoing need of keeping an animal safe and cool when subjected to environments with uncomfortably high temperatures, as well as attempts to manipulate the traditional human mattress. It is also clear, that because today's current market lacks any product similar to the '835 and '693 patents mentioned above, their devices did not sufficiently satisfy the pet market need. It should be appreciated that the invention in this application has been tested and solves the problem effectively, efficiently, economically and requires little human interaction and no direct electricity.